May 2018

State to look at county’s response to hepatitis A crisis, which caused 20 deaths and sickened 588 in region

Nancy Weathers, public health nurse at North Coastal Public Health Center, testified on May 16 at the State Legislature’s Joint Audit Committee about the County’s response to the hepatitis A outbreak. She focused on the need for resources and a safety protocol to protect nurses and patients. Nurses had to submit a petition to add park ranger and police escorts to hepatitis A field assignments, keeping nurses safe and allowing us to do our jobs protecting community health. Weathers was the only public speaker to address the committee, which decided to investigate how the county’s public health department handled the outbreak. This is just the beginning as we continue to advocate for more staffing. Join the fight and support nurses by becoming a member today.

You must be a member to vote. You can sign up for membership at the voting sites.

Major contract changes your SEIU bargaining team negotiated

The term of the contract is the date of ratification until December 31, 2019

Compensation and overtime

All employees will receive a 2% increase, retroactive to January 1, 2018. The parties will re-open negotiations in September 2018 on base wages and any increase negotiated will be made retroactive to July 1, 2018.

For the Clerical/Technical Unit, employees working out of class will receive a 5% increase for any working out of class for more than 20 consecutive calendar days.

Health insurance

Retroactive to January 2018, the Court will increase its contribution to employees in the Gold PPO and SIMNSA plans. The Court will now pay 77% of the cost (an increase from 75%).

An employee and the SEIU representative may attend the health insurance broker’s annual meeting to management on health insurance plans and may provide feedback to management.

Vacation

Increase of 1 day of vacation for employees with more than 10 years of service. Employees with more than 10 years of service shall now receive 18 days, employees with 15 years of services will receive 21 days, and employees with more than 20 years of service shall receive 23 days.

Employees may use vacation in 15 minute increments instead of half an hour.

Incorporated the Vacation Buy Back into the contract. Employees may cash out up to 50 hours of vacation a year, to be paid in the final full pay period in November.

Special pay practices

Bilingual pay will be available to qualified employees at an additional $20 per paycheck. Employees will be certified by the Court through testing and the certification must take place within 30 days of requesting to take the test.

All employees will receive 1 additional sick day per year (increasing from 12 to 13 days).

Language change that states that employees absent more than 3 consecutive days may be required to provide a doctor’s note rather than any employee requesting sick leave.

Also added language saying that no employee shall be “harassed, admonished, reprimanded, or in any way disciplined” for using sick leave.

Employees may use sick leave in 15 minute increments instead of half an hour.

Created a catastrophic leave program that allows employees to donate vacation leave to other employees who have exhausted all paid leave in the event of a sickness or injury to the employee or an immediate family member.

Bereavement leave

Increased the number of days an employee has for bereavement leave from 6 to 9 days within a rolling 12-month period.

Grievance procedure

All suspensions of 5 days or more can be appealed through the non-binding arbitration process outlined in the Discipline Policy (previously available for suspensions of more than 5 days).

Added language allowing for group grievances and grievances made by SEIU on the employee’s behalf and added 2 additional alternate union stewards.

Union rights

An increase to the number of employees who may receive paid release time for negotiations with the Court, to 4 employees in the Clerical/Technical Unit and 2 for the Court Reporters.

The Union will be notified of the hiring and orientation of new bargaining unit members at least 10 days ahead of the employee’s first day of employment.

The Union will receive a list of employees with contact information up to 4 times a year.

The Court will allow for time off on their own time for 4 Union members for up to 2 work days per calendar year.

Personnel files

An employee can remove a written reprimand, written warning, or written counseling memo from the employee’s file if there has been no similar offense within 18 months, a decrease from 2 years.

Bulletin boards

Language changes indicating SEIU or Union instead of Association.

Employee entrance

Once Valley Plaza employees have moved to the Main Court, the Court will create and maintain a separate entrance for employees and attorneys from 7:45 to 8:15 am and 12:45 to 1:15 pm.

Labor Management Committee

A Labor Management Committee will be created for the Union and Management to meet and discuss work issues. It will be made up of by 4 representatives from Management and 4 from the Union. It will meet at least quarterly or more frequently upon mutual agreement. The Committee will make recommendations for Court management consideration. Any recommendations will be sent to the CEO and the CEO must reply within 45 days. The Court and SEIU will also discuss creating departmental work procedure manuals within this Committee.

Working hours and work week

Strengthened language about break times, stating that employees shall receive a rest period in the morning and in the afternoon though the bench officer will continue to control the exact timing of rest periods for employees in Court.

Removed language saying that the violation of the contract’s rest break rules may lead to discipline for the employee.

Clarified existing language regarding section 6.6 which stated, “Emergency work situations take precedence over rest periods,” to include the definition of an emergency work situation to mean a situation that substantially interferes with Court operations (for example, flooding or an earthquake).

Probationary period

Court Services Assistants who are promoted to a higher CSA level within the same department in which they are already working (the Departments are: Civil, Criminal, Traffic, and Accounting) shall serve a probationary period of 6 months (a decrease from 1 year).

Judicial Assistants who are promoted to a higher JA level shall serve a probationary period of 6 months (a decrease from 1 year).

This document is based on the Contract and Memorandums of Agreement between the County of San Diego and the Service Employees International Union, Local 221, from Oct.13, 2017–June 23, 2022. Click here to read them.

All classifications in the RN bargaining unit will receive an additional 4% wage increase.

All classifications in the SS and SW bargaining units will receive an additional 2% wage increase.

All classifications in the CL bargaining unit will receive an additional 1% wage increase.

All employees in the Psychiatrist-Specialist classification (004199) will receive an additional 5% wage increase.

The below listed bargaining units have been identified to receive an equity adjustment effective June 18, 2021:

All classifications in the HS, AE, FS, MM, PR, and PS bargaining units will receive an additional 1% wage increase.

Section 3. One-Time Bonus Schedule

Effective October 13, 2017: One-time monetary payment of $750 for all regular employees who have paid service during Fiscal Year 2016-2017. An employee is not eligible to receive the one-time lump sum payment if they terminated before the first day of the payroll 08 (September 29, 2017). Part-time

Effective June 22, 2018: One-time monetary payment of $750 for all regular employees who have paid service during Fiscal Year 2017-2018. Payment to be paid on the payday of payroll 02 (July 27, 2018). Part-time employees shall receive a pro-rated amount according to their standard hours.

Effective June 21, 2019: One-time monetary payment of $750 for all regular employees who have paid service during Fiscal Year 2018-2019. Payment to be paid on the payday of payroll 02 (July 26, 2019). Part-time employees shall receive a pro-rated amount according to their standard hours.

Effective June 19, 2020: One-time monetary payment of $1,500 for all regular employees who have paid service during Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Payment to be paid on the payday of payroll 02 (July 24, 2020). Part-time employees shall receive a pro-rated amount according to their standard hours.

Effective June 18, 2021: One-time monetary payment of $1,500 for all regular employees who have paid service during Fiscal Year 2020-2021. Payment to be paid on the payday of payroll 02 (July 23, 2021). Part-time employees shall receive a pro-rated amount according to their standard hours.

The one-time lump sum payments will be included in the employees’ regular paycheck. For the one-time payments in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, an employee is not eligible to receive the one-time lump sum payment if they terminated before the first day of the payroll 02. An employee shall not be entitled to the one-time lump sum monetary payment above if they received a one-time payment under the terms of a different bargaining unit for the same fiscal year. If an eligible employee is on paid or unpaid leave, the payment will be made when the employee returns to active County service.

Join the members of SEIU Local 221’s African-American Action Committee for our annual celebration of Juneteenth. The purpose of this cultural and historic event is to celebrate the passage and ratification of the 13th Amendment ending slavery.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Gwen Thompson-Chamberlain. She participated in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in Meridian, Miss. She and her siblings were students in the infamous Freedom Schools and their experiences are part of Freedom Summer history.

From City Council to Board of Supervisors to Governor, this is a big election year. Make sure that your voice is heard. Members have shaped these endorsements after looking closely at the record of each candidate. Join me in supporting the candidates who will stand up for working families.

The following are SEIU endorsements for the June 5 Statewide Direct Primary Election.

PROPOSITIONSYES on Proposition 68 California is facing droughts, wildfires and impacts of a changing climate. Prop 68 will protect our water, parks and resources.YES on Proposition 69 Guarantees transportation funds for use for transportation improvements. Will not raise taxes and protects taxes we already pay.NO on Proposition 70 A corporate-led attack on climate action in California. It is designed to seize funding that is used to fight pollution and improve community health.

Federal, Constitutional Offices, California Legislature and Propositions endorsed by SEIU California process. Chula Vista, San Diego County and City of San Diego endorsed by SEIU Local 221 process. Imperial County candidates endorsed by SEIU Local 221 process and San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council process. Grossmont Cuyamaca College Board, San Diego Community College Board and San Diego Unified School District Board endorsed by San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council process. *MULTIPLE ENDORSEMENTS – VOTE FOR ONE

With the important June 5 elections just around the corner, please join us in getting out the vote for our SEIU endorsed Board of Supervisors Candidate Nathan Fletcher at our next Steward Council meeting.

Steward Council phone bank with Nathan Fletcher6-8pm Thursday, May 24
SEIU 221 Union hall
We’ll have pizza and Nathan Fletcher will be stopping by to join us at the phone bank.

As Supervisor, Nathan Fletcher will focus on supporting County workers in our efforts to improve working conditions, such as addressing excessive workload and understaffing, as well as ensure we provide services to our most vulnerable community members. That’s why SEIU 221, the Democratic Party, Nurses and Firefighters all support Nathan Fletcher!

Together we can we shake up the Board of Supervisors that has not been working for San Diego for more than 30 years!

Due to feedback from our members, we have decided to cancel Steward Council scheduled for May 10. We will continue with our regularly scheduled Steward Council meeting on Thursday, May 24.

We are also holding a Basic Steward Training on Saturday, May 19, and are asking you all to try to recruit one member who is interested in becoming a union steward. Please let us know the name of your potential steward by Thursday, May 17. If you are interested in teaching a portion of our Basic Steward Training, please reach out to Senior Advocacy Center Organizer Jennifer Spirit at Jennifer.Spirit@seiu221.org

SDCERA has let the county know that they are not implementing Tier D for new employees due to legal issues. The county is now suing SDCERA. We do not know the outcome of this process, but we will continue to monitor this and inform the membership with new developments.

This summary, based on a member’s notes, is designed to emphasize the collaborative spirit of the meeting: On April 20, about 30 SEIU Local 221 members met with Nick Macchione, Agency Director of the County Health and Human Services Agency, to talk about better serving the community.

The employees gave up their Friday evening to support the intentions of ConnectWellSD, a computer program, which was created with the goal of increasing communication and coordination among County services. It is designed to ensure that residents are receiving full access to the services they are entitled to. However, many employees raised serious concerns about the way it is being implemented. SEIU presented data from about 50 surveys on the employees’ experience with this program. SEIU continues to collect surveys about this issue and, as of May 3, has about 100, which will be shared with management to work toward improvements in the system and make progress together.

The experience shared by front-line employees in the room and the surveys covered areas where progress is being made, including finally updating an old, paperwork based system. The group also addressed areas of concern, such as manual data entry from other systems, clients being sent to the wrong people and wrong locations, double-booked appointments, lack of a backup when the system is down and assignment deadlines that don’t take into account nonworking days. The group generated ideas about how to address these issues, including more time to complete tasks, increased training time without any incoming assignments, using surveys and focus groups to identify problems and having managers share with their supervisors problems and concerns with the system.

The goal of this meeting was to support a collaborative model where workers, County leadership, and the community come together to make progress. This will allow ConnectWell to truly deliver the best and most efficient services possible to the residents of San Diego County.

Nick Macchione (crouching in the center) is the Agency Director of the County Health and Human Services Agency, He came to the SEIU Local 221 Union Hall on April 20 to meet with members to support a collaborative model where workers, County leadership and the community come together to make progress. The focus was on of ConnectWellSD, a computer program, which was created with the goal of increasing communication and coordination among County services.